Dave Brubeck, the legendary jazz pianist and composer most famous for "Take Five," his an experiment in using unusual time signatures in jazz combos written by saxophonist Paul Desmond, has died at the age of 91.
From the Chicago Tribune:
Brubeck was one day short of his 92nd birthday. He died of heart failure, en route to "a regular treatment with his cardiologist,” said Gloyd.Throughout his career, Brubeck defied conventions long imposed on jazz musicians. The tricky meters he played in “Take Five” and other works transcended standard conceptions of swing rhythm.
The extended choral/symphonic works he penned and performed around the world took him well outside the accepted boundaries of jazz. And the concerts he brought to colleges across the country in the 1950s shattered the then-long-held notion that jazz had no place in academia.
...
"For as long as I’ve been playing jazz, people have been trying to pigeonhole me,” he once told the Tribune.
"Frankly, labels bore me."
Brubeck was notable, in this writer's opinion, for his willingness to challenge what was considered typical for the day, from his aforementioned forays into meters that were rarely, if ever, used by his jazz contemporaries to his humanist beliefs, pushing for greater social integration during a difficult period in our nation's history.
While he will be missed, his tremendous body of work ensures he won't soon be forgotten.
Tags: dave brubeck , dead at 91 , take five , labels bore me , Video
Burger Records, the mostly-cassettes label that has released some of my favorite albums of the year, released a new compilation today in conjunction with its sister label, Wiener Records, that looks friggin' awesome.
The Wiener Dog Comp contains 71 unreleased tracks by 71 Burger-associated acts, spread over two cassettes. With songs by bands including Thee Oh Sees, Redd Kross, Jaill, King Tuff, The Eeries, Spanish Moss, The Blank Tapes, Pop Zeus and tons more, it almost warrants running out and buying a cassette deck just to listen to it.
Further incentive: The comp also contains songs by three Tucson bands — Lenguas Largas, The Resonars, and Freezing Hands.
Even more incentive: All of the proceeds from sales go toward an operation to remove a growth from the belly of Popcorn!, the adorable wiener dog featured in the video above. Any leftover proceeds will be donated to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. So it's like a triple-win!
If you want in on the action, get to it: Only 500 copies were pressed. Oh, and it's only 10 bucks per copy.
Tags: burger records , cassettes , the wiener dog comp , lenguas largas , the resonars , freezing hands , the oh sees , redd kross , jaill , king tuff , the eeries , spanish moss , the blank tapes , pop zeus , get that growth off that adorable dog's belly , Video
If you're going to see Math the Band at Solar Culture tonight, it'll likely be worth your time to show up at 8 p.m. for the opening act, The Gym Clique (get it?). Who knows how this will turn out, but the spectacle should be something on its own.
From the event's Facebook page:
THE GYM CLIQUE is a new band with Logan Greene, Shane Gunther, Alex Whelan and Curtis Wright. They will be playing all your favorite songs to exercise to as they debut their 30-minute workout set. COME DRESSED IN EXERCISE ATTIRE!!! NOT KIDDING!!!
Just to reiterate, they are "NOT KIDDING!!!" about the "EXERCISE ATTIRE!!!" since Logan Greene has promised short shorts in his Facebook posts about the show. Consider yourself warned.
Tags: gym clique , logan greene , math the band , tucson music , tucson concerts , solar culture , inspired by jazzercise
While Tom Danehy finds them inferior to the band Chicago, I would consider myself a Fleetwood Mac fan, even as the group has enjoyed a hipster resurgence in recent years. I am, however, somewhat conflicted about seeing the band (seemingly still minus Christine McVie, unfortunately) in Phoenix on May 30 at the US Airways Center.
You have to assume the tickets are likely to be ungodly expensive and arena shows (especially those I have to drive an hour-and-a-half to) are generally not my thing these days, but a Lindsey Buckingham interview on Rolling Stone's website today does make the show seem more appealing:
"We always have to play 'Dreams,' 'Rhiannon,' 'Don't Stop,' 'Tusk,' 'Big Love,' 'Landslide' and all our most famous songs," says Lindsey Buckingham. "When you've gone through all your must-do's, that's 75% of your potential setlist. I think with the other 25%, there are areas of our catalog that are more under-explored. Maybe we'll play more songs from Tusk. I'd also like to see an extended middle portion of the show that's just me and Stevie. This is just me talking from the top of my head. For now, I have no particular vision of what this tour is going to be."
I agree, Lindsey. MORE TUSK ALWAYS.
Tickets go on sale Monday, December 17 at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster.com or places that still sell Ticketmaster tickets (although I couldn't possibly tell you where those are now).
Tags: fleetwood mac , fleetwood mac phoenix , fleetwood mac us airways center , phoenix concerts , lindsey buckingham
Drake, since he's both Canadian and a former child actor, has been questioned regarding his hip-hop authenticity since his first mixtape, but what's more street than hanging with the King of Donkey Sauce, right?
[Eater]
Tags: drake , guy fieri , jimmy from degrassi's all grown up , cooking lessons with drake
Seemingly from the same video session that created a YouTube clip of rapper/yeller DMX finding Google confusing (still great, by the way), here is his rendition of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." We can't thank you enough, Power 105 in New York City, for this moment of pure joy.
Tags: dmx , dmx sings rudolph the red nosed reindeer , rap christmas songs , power 105 , Video